April Reading

I don't usually read Nicholas Sparks. There's just something I find inherrently icky about the thought of reading his novels. But I wanted to read The Lucky One. It was a quick read, simple to follow, fairly predictable. Good for something to zone out to. 

But The Night Circus....WOW. I'm still reading it, and I want to step inside this book and visit the night circus. I am loving this novel! What an amazing debut, I can't wait to see what the author does next.

A Time for Catching Up: Beautiful Walks

The view from Holy Sepulcher Cemetery

 I know it's kind of weird, but James and I drive past Holy Sepulcher Cemetery occasionally, and we always remark how it looks really beautiful and peaceful. So, the other weekend, we just pulled in and went for a quiet, respectful walk.


Holy Sepulcher Cemetery

 The last time I was there was when a friend's father passed away in the 8th grade. I don't remember a whole lot other than the awful, sad feelings that funerals are associated with.  This particular visit was very peaceful. There were families having picnics with their loved ones, people tending to the flowers on the graves, and all sorts of tokens left all over. Bird feeders in the trees. Balloons everywhere. It was a nice atmosphere, surprising for a cemetery.


Peters Canyon

On another day, we went for a more normal walk at Peters Canyon.

Peters Canyon



Peters Canyon & James

 I promise we're not a weird couple that hangs out at cemeteries.

A Time for Catching Up: Easter Week

As it always happens, this is a very busy time of year for me. We have an annual show at the gallery that I usually try to put a piece or two into, it's Easter week and therefore choir-heavy, and the weather just feels so nice that I feel compelled to get the house in order and spend some time just sitting outside looking at the birds. Last year I learned the Faure Requiem by heart, decided not to enter the exhibition at the gallery, and flew off to my sister-in-law's wedding in London the day after the exhibition opened. This year has been equally busy and will, I'm sure, have many more surprises in store.


Palm Sunday morning

Our choir concert was Palm Sunday evening. It was a lot of work, but we had a great time with all the gospel and spiritual music, mixed with Easter songs. The men in the choir sang a fantastic acapella piece called "I Know I Been Changed." I snapped a photo of then during the warm up rehearsal.


Gospel Dudes, Choir Concert

Easter morning was filled with lilies, brass, handbells, singing...
 

Easter Morning with an Organist

...and animals! The announcement was made early in the day that there would be a petting zoo following the service, and it was all I could do to not leap up and yell "REALLY??!?" I was so excited I could barely stand it. And then, after church...
 

LOOK! This guy was just as excited as I was...

 ...ANIMALS!! Whoever thought up having a petting zoo with goats, chickens, rabbits, and a tiny baby pig at church is clearly a genius.


A plethora of chickens, rabbits and goats

 

Easter Chickens

James got way into the spirit of things and got right in the little pen. The only reason I didn't is that I was slightly worried about stepping in poo in my nice heels. James, obviously, wasn't as concerned.


James made a new friend

Easter lunch was at my parent's house, and rather than traditional lilies, my mom gave me a gorgeous bouquet of daffodils. They were beautiful, and made our kitchen table very cheery for several days.
 

Easter Daffodils from my Mummy

Not pictured are the seemingly endless pieces of music to learn, the delicious roast chicken my mom cooked, the even more delicious deviled eggs she made (of which I ate probably 3 people's share of), and the kind of weird bear- and rabbit-faced eggs I made with my Japanese hard-boiled egg molds. If you don't have some, you seriously should, because they are ridiculous and sometimes it just feels good to make something that looks ridiculous to eat.

March Reading, Part 2

It's been a busy month so I haven't read as much as I usually do. Meaning I haven't finished a book a week. Oh well.

I technically haven't finished "Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen" yet, but I'll probably finish it tomorrow afternoon, so I don't really count it as part of April's reading yet. I really shouldn't be finishing this book tomorrow afternoon, what I should be doing is working on my Scenes of Tustin entry and/or doing last last last minute reviewing of "Hark I Hear the Harps Eternal" and "Risen Today" for my choir concert, which is tomorrow night. Yes. However, every hardworking girl needs some time to relax...

Is it Time For Cake Yet?

It's getting to be a super busy time in our lives right now, and our apartment is suffering for it. James and I both have big art projects on the go, and we end up sharing the dining room table - he frames on it in the morning, I cut fabric and sew on it in the evenings. And in the meantime, we have piles of fabric, sketchbooks, matboards, laundry and dirty dishes stacked everywhere. (The dishes aren't really our fault - our apartment had no hot water over the weekend and we're still not caught up once it was turned back on.)

Here's what we got up to before life got so hectic:


Enjoying a beautiful southern California day



Saw a fabric exhibition at The Muckenthaler in Fullerton - don't you love the Spanish tiles?



Succulents at The Muck

 

Time out in the garden



Our sweetpeas are growing



The first of the ranunculus at Trader Joe's



There was a huge sale at Art Supply Warehouse. So huge that the lines extended allllll the way back into the asiles. This is where I waited for over half an hour, suck next to the Fimo.



The cash registers are now in sight



At home with linolium blocks, acrylic paint in Raw Umber, a new paintbrush, a brayer, a baren, and a photo portfolio book

 Coming up, I've got this art project to finish, photos to go out and take, a choir concert to sing in, Easter music to be mastering, the day-to-day of work, laundry, dishes, food etc, a wedding to attend, and then it will be the end of April and my husband's parents will be arriving from London just in time for his 30th! I need a slice of cake just thinking about it all.

March Reading

Only two books on the go this month. So far. I'm sure there will be more.

I'm in the middle of the first one. A completely rediculous story about time travel between modern day Cornwall and the early 1700's. Completely rediculous but still an enjoyable read. I like the author of the second one, so I'm sure I'll have fun reading it.

Is it completely evil of me to contemplate a Kindle? It would be AMAZING to use while traveling, and it would mean that I could download books like "The Hunger Games" without feeling embarassed that I was being judged. (I haven't given in yet, but as the hype grows, I'm sure I will. Sigh.)

Am I Showing My Age?

It's been a week of R&R. Sometimes it's just the best thing in the world to take a step back and say, "You know...I need a break." And that's okay.

Look! Spring Crabapple! Southern California really does have changing seasons!

  

I've been a little obsessed with this jigsaw puzzle lately. Also, my mom & dad gave me this rad teapot and I've been enjoying my tea out of it this week.



This is Country Roads, my favorite antique store in the Orange Circle. I especially like the displays of white vintage-y goodness.



I painted my toenails a happy coral/tangerine color, which goes perfectly with my new favorite dress. Sorry to those of you who think feet are gross. Hopefully you won't think mine are.

  My lovely friends and my lovely husband took me out for a belated b-day outing. We went to the Holiday Skate Center, the roller skating rink that I've gone to since I was in elementary school. It was great to go back and see what's changed and what's different. It was slightly disturbing seeing children getting all excited for "I'm Sexy and I Know It" and Ke$ha - what ever happend to the good old days of Michael Jackson and Paula Abdul? (Am I showing my age?)



Alas, the multiple disco balls are gone...

Also what was quite disturbing was that there was a couple who thought it would be a great idea to take their stroller with a very tiny baby in it out onto the floor of the roller rink. And no one made them exit the floor. Am I the only one that thinks it's a miracle that nothing happened? (Am I showing my age again?) 

More fun across the street at Jimmy Bones

The ladies room was my favorite part of Jimmy Bones

 Okay, if you go into a sports bar with your friends and get told by some sweaty drunk men to turn around and give them a little curtsey and you spend the first part of the night huddled in a corner protected by your male friends, you don't really expect to find an amazingly hilarious ladies room in the joint. However, this was fantasticly tacky, wallpapered with headshots of the Thunder from Down Under. I couldn't resist taking a few pictures.

And that's just the kind of girl I am.